Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and never was that more true than when English Heritage saw Gun Wharf.

The brown building on Dock Road in Chatham has today been honoured with Grade II listed status by the secretary of state for culture, media and sport MP Sajid Javid.

It follows an English Heritage project to recognise some “of the finest post-war office buildings in England” and celebrate the work of leading modern architects.

It puts the Medway Council headquarters building in the prestigious company of Grade II treasures Upnor Castle, the Old Theatre Royal, Chatham Dock Pumping Station and the Foord Almshouses.

Out of 23 buildings up for assessment Gun Wharf was chosen because it makes use of traditional materials, utilises its sloping riverside location and is almost unaltered since being built between 1976-78.

Veronica Fiorato, head of English Heritage in the South said: “Gun Wharf was designed as a complete, integrated work of architecture which maximises natural light as well as views of the surrounding river, gardens and courtyards.

“Gun Wharf survives with a remarkable degree of preservation and entirely merits its Grade II listing.”

It was built as an administrative headquarters for Lloyd’s of London and was designed by London-based architects firm, Arup Associates.

Heritage minister, Ed Vaizey, said: “Listed buildings are not just about historic houses and ancient monuments, they also serve to protect our recent heritage and preserve the best examples of our fantastic architecture. This group of listings reflect the changing face of our working environment and represent the very best in design and it’s entirely right that they be listed Grade II.”

It received the status along with 13 other commercial buildings of 1964 to 1984, including the Alpha Tower in Birmingham and Bristol’s Central Electricity Generating Board Building.

Councillor Rodney Chambers, leader of Medway Council, said: “Gun Wharf is a splendid building with a unique design and it is fitting that it has been recognised as such.

“To be named as one of 14 post-war office buildings listed across the country is something quite special and the fact it is still a working building is testament to its quality.”

“The building is no stranger to awards and when it was built was described in the Architects’ Journal as ‘powerful outside and beautiful inside’.”